Aero India: Rafale in focus for warplanes deal

Aero India: Rafale in focus for warplanes deal

7 Feb, 2013

In pic: A French Dassault Rafale fighter performs during Aero India 2013 at the Yelahanka Air Force station in Bangalore.

Text: Agencies

In a potential $10 billion purchase of French warplanes, the government picked the Rafale combat jet, made by Dassault Aviation, for exclusive negotiations over a year ago after a hotly contested bidding war with rival manufacturers, but is still to finalize the 126-aircraft deal.

Dassault hopes to conclude the deal, with negotiations set to be taken up by President Francois Hollande in the second week of February.